Tokyo Olympics: 'Embarrassed' - Nick Willis reveals the mistake that almost cost him his Tokyo spot

Kiwi athletics veteran Nick Willis has admitted miscalculating what he needed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics after making the cut by the slimmest margin.

Willis will compete in a record fifth Olympics Games later this month after slipping in as the lowest-ranked competitor in the 1500m when two higher-ranking runners opted to compete in different distances in Tokyo.

Despite being previously named in the New Zealand team, only the fastest 45 runners in his event in the world take part in Tokyo and Willis was, before this week, ranked 47th.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB, Willis said above all, he was "embarrassed."

"I've always prided myself on being good at planning and going through and analysing situations, in a prideful way, better than other athletes," he said. "But I totally miscalculated it and I thought that was going to cost me."

Willis explained how he'd opted out of races earlier this year in order to time his peak for the Games - unaware his ranking had slipped so far.

"It was looking pretty grim for a while there, almost to the point I looked to move on and I had given up hope that [Tokyo] was a realistic opportunity," he said.

"Thankfully my wife said 'you've got to jump on a flight right now to Europe' and she was right, those extra couple or races was just enough to squeak me in at the last second."

Nick Willis will compete in his fifth Olympics. Photo / Getty

Now that he's qualified, Willis - who will be the first Kiwi male track and field athlete to represent New Zealand at the Olympics five times - said he can focus on the positives from the scare, such as timing his peak as planned.

At 38-years-old, however, he said his expectations had changed and would head into likely his final Olympics campaign with a new perspective.

"I've moved the goalposts," he said. "For the last three or four years I've been frustrated thinking 'why am I not able to replicate what I was doing in the past?' I was finishing races, always feeling frustrated.

"I might've been a medallist in the past, but that doesn't mean I can't still be competitive and be a top 12-16 type of athlete and still take away a lot of joy and drive a lot of satisfaction from that. That's really switched things around for me and I've been able to really enjoy my training a lot more.

"It's going to be a big challenge, as hard as trying to get on the podium in past years, but that's what makes it more worthwhile."

Willis will travel and be based in Hawaii from July 18 to spend some time acclimatising, before flying to Tokyo a few days before his event.